Competitive Costuming Panel at MidSouthCon

I attended a panel on competitive cosplay at hosted by Monique Faqua, Kelli Smith, Ryann Mazur, and Mazelle Attiya. The panel happened in a question and answer format, mostly with members of the audience asking questions.

How does judging work?

If you win so many times at one level, you get bumped up to the next level. Anyone who makes any money at cosplay automatically enters as a master. The winners get a prize. They typically win a free entry to the next convention, sometimes a trophy or ribbon, sometimes money.

Ryann’s favorite part of judging is a skit. Do something in character. You will earn more points that way. Ryann said “Cosplay, to me, is something more than just wearing a costume.”

Mazelle added that the skit does not have to be complicated. MidSouthCon does not have live mics anymore at their masquerade (cosplay contest). Everything has to be prerecorded.

How do you get to be a judge?

Win too many competitions!

What inspired you to compete?

Ryann said she likes putting her own personal pizazz into a costume. It progressed to making all of her costumes. Now, she even likes making costumes just for competitions.

Kelli said cosplay is bonding for her and Monique, her mother. Their first costumes won. They always compete as a group.

How do you enter a reinvention or redesign of a character?

Ryann said to enter it as an adaptation.

How did you get your start in conventions?

Ryann said she always loved Halloween and dressing up at home. Her friends told her that cosplay is done at conventions and that she should go. She said she made a Raven cosplay and struck poses and felt like Kim K.

Kelli told us that her mom raised her on costumes and geek culture.

Mazelle started sewing at 10 years old and started going to conventions at 18. She also got involved in the Society for Creative Anachronism. Mazelle used to sew for a living, for about seven years. She said people didn’t want to pay for costumes for what they were worth, so she got her master’s in accounting. “Now I can pay for an outfit I’m going to wear [only] a few times.” said Mazelle. She still enters contests occasionally.

What is your favorite costume?

Monique said her favorite costume was Lightening. She made it with craft foam and the judges bumped her up from novice to journeyman category. Judges can do things like that. They ended up winning.

Kelli said her favorite costume was Fran from Final Fantasy with Lightening.

Mazelle said her favorite cosplay was Bo Peep. She could not find pink fabric with white polka dots, so she bought pink fabric and sewed white dots to the fabric.